Bonds launches No. 64, Astros score three-game sweep of Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- Even as the Giants were swept by the Astros, Barry Bonds wasn't worried about his team.

Despite Bonds' league-leading 64th home run Thursday, San Francisco lost 5-4 to Houston, finishing a disappointing three-game series.

''We've got plenty of time,'' Bonds said.

The Giants, who began the day two games behind Arizona, the NL West leader. Houston started Thursday 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place St. Louis in the NL Central.

After Bonds tied the score with his 64th homer, Lance Berkman hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning.

''We've been scrappy and I like that,'' Berkman said. ''Even in adverse situations we feel like we can come back.''

With 15 games left, Bonds is six homers shy of the record Mark McGwire set three years ago. Bonds' 64th came in San Francisco's 147th game, eight games fewer than it took McGwire to hit the same number.

Bonds has 558 career homers, five shy of matching Reggie Jackson for seventh place.

He announced Thursday that for every home run he hits from here on out, he will donate $10,000 to the United Way to aid in the relief effort stemming from last week's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The Reds, on the verge of being shut out in consecutive games for the first time in more than eight years, scored five times in the ninth but fell just short.

By taking two of three, the Cubs built a smidgen of momentum for their potentially pivotal weekend series in Houston. The Cubs are third in the NL Central and third in the wild card race.

Braves 5, Phillies 1

PHILADELPHIA -- Javy Lopez drove in three runs and Kevin Millwood pitched six shutout innings as Atlanta beat Philadelphia to reopen a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL East.

The Braves avoided a four-game sweep and headed to New York with a 5 1/2-game lead over the Mets. Philadelphia, which has 15 games left, starts a weekend series at home against Florida on Friday night.

Millwood (6-6) allowed three hits and struck out a season-high eight to win for the fourth time in five decisions.

Cardinals 9, Pirates 1

PITTSBURGH -- Woody Williams (13-9) pitched three-hit ball over seven innings and Mark McGwire, who came into the game only because of an injury, homered in his 39th major league park as St. Louis won its seventh straight.

The Cardinals won their 10th in 11 games to maintain their 2 1/2-game lead over the Cubs in the wild card race.

Expos 8, Rockies 3

MONTREAL -- Orlando Cabrera hit a tiebreaking three-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to lead Montreal past Colorado.

Cabrera, who matched his career high with five RBIs, also hit a run-scoring grounder in the first and an RBI single in the seventh before clearing the bases in the eighth with a double down the third-base line against Jay Powell (4-3).